1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a modular planter or flower box assembly with a drainage means for relieving or evacuating excess water there from. The modular planter or flower box assembly consists of a plurality of longitudinal and angular modular sections that are joined together and supported by U-shaped support brackets to form a single unit. Each extreme end of the single unit includes an end cap for closing and sealing each end with drain means disposed therein for releasing excess water from the single unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
At the present time, there are many different types of modular planters or flower boxes with water drainage means that are made from material consisting of polypropylene (PP), Ethylene Propylene (EP) or Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) that uses sealing adhesives and/or screws. These modular planters or flower boxes are used in gardens, on balconies, roof-tops, for residential dwellings, residential landscaped areas and in decorative and landscaped areas of commercial buildings and shopping facilities.
Many of these modular planter or flower box assemblies provide support brackets for connecting longitudinal and angular modular sections together are secured by screws or adhesive to hold the modular sections together to form a single continuous modular planter or flower box assembly unit that is adaptable to various or different types of areas to be gardened. The modular planter or flower box assemblies can be elevated by support posts with a drainage opening there through to drain excess water through a plurality of apertures in each end of the modular sections and other modular sections can have inner side double walls near the base of the modular sections with a plurality of ventilating holes near the top of the inner side double walls for evacuating excess water from the modular sections.
In light of the present invention, the best prior art patents that was found, teaches longitudinal and angular modular sections interconnected with one another by support brackets to from a single and continuous planter or flower box assembly unit with drainage means to be positioned in an area to be gardened. Also, a cover is secured to each end of the single and continuous planter or flower box assembly unit for closing and sealing each end modular sections thereof. These prior art patents are now described below.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,120,119 A describes a continuous modular sectional flower box unit with longitudinal trough-like receptacles that are connected together by an angular elbow coupler receptacle with open flanged ends dimensioned to fit snugly within and against inside surfaces proximate an open end of the longitudinal trough-like receptacles and rigidly secured together by glue or screws.
The other ends of the longitudinal trough-like receptacles is covered by an end cap with a wall-like member having a flange projecting outward from its bottom and side edges. This end cap is dimensioned to ensure that the flange will fit snugly across the width of and against an inside surface of an open end the longitudinal trough-like receptacles, for rigid attachment thereto by suitable means, such as glue or screws. Also, a splicer and stiffener plate with a flange are dimensioned to fit across the width of and snugly against inside surfaces proximate the open ends of two of the longitudinal trough-like receptacles that are abutted together and rigidly secured thereto by attachment means such as, glue or screws.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,664,367 A describes an artistic flower planting box that is hangable on a building terrace or patio having a flower planting box and a hanging plate. The hanging plate is channel shaped and placed on an upper surface of a terrace wall of a building. The flower planting box is elongated in shape with an upper open side, forming and interior for soil and flowers. The flower planter box is assembled with the hanging plate by bolts screwing into a plurality of threaded holes in a rear side of the flower planter box and a front side of the hanging plate.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,852,895 A describes a raised planter box assembly having a plurality of U-shaped modular planter boxes connected to one another with an open top end portion to allow easy access for planting purposes. The top open end allows a plurality of sliding plates or dividers to be releasably secured therein to form separate planting compartments within the raised planter box assembly. A plurality of drain holes is disposed at each end of each modular planter boxes.
Also, a spaced apart support structure having one end attached to a bottom surface of each of the U-shaped modular planter boxes for elevating the planter box assembly above the ground or floor surfaces. These spaced apart support structures include spaced apart height adjusting elevating posts with a through opening therein for communicating with the plurality drain holes to relieve excess water or fluid from the planter box assembly. The other end of the support structure height adjusting elevating posts being in the form of a spike that is disposed in the ground or a platform end portion that is supported by a floor surface, if desired.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,837,002 B2 describes a plurality of modular tray sections for hydroponic and aeroponic cultivation, in which a nutritive solution is carried to the roots of plants grown in the tray sections by a tube with a plurality of holes for built-in drips, which is situated in a longitudinal slot disposed in the bottom surface of the tray sections. The trays consist of at least one plastic casing made by extrusion. A pair of closing end flange plates being fixed to the ends of the tray sections.
At least one middle flange plate is disposed between the tray sections to connect them together as a continuous unit with a watertight seal. Note that this least one middle flange plate includes a plurality of holes disposed therein, a middle hole being utilized for receiving the tube there through and the other holes being disposed on opposite sides of the middle hole, which are utilized to intercommunicate the tray sections to allow the smooth flowing of the nutritive solution into the modular tray sections.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0246956 A1 describes a plurality of U-shaped modular double walled flower boxes having a pair of sides and a bottom base connecting surface that are joined to one another to form a continuous flower box assembly with releasably secured end caps. A plurality of support coupling brackets for joining the plurality of modular double walled flower boxes together by a fastening or screw means to form a leak proof structure in which self watering systems can be installed. These support coupling brackets can take on different angular configurations, such as angles of 90° or 135°.
The modular double walled flower boxes having interior double wall drain channels on both sides of the modular double walled flower boxes at a bottom end thereof adjacent the bottom base connecting surface to allow each drain channels to abut one another to form a connecting relationship through out the continuous flower box assembly. The drain channels include a number of drain holes disposed at a top end thereof, where excess water is evacuated from and allows the roots of the flowers or vegetation and the earth or soil to be ventilated.
A bracket member being coupled onto the top end of the aforementioned support coupling brackets for the attachment of a lighting element thereto.
WO 1998/049886 A1, an International Patent Application Publication, published under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), is cited as being the same as U.S. Pat. No. 5,852,895 A as described above. A description of this International Patent Application Publication (PCT) will not be described in detail, since it is the same as the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 5,852,895 A.
Note that none of the above mentioned prior patents teaches singly or in combination the unique present invention, which will be discussed in greater detail in the “Summary of the Invention” recited below.